1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to platforms, and in particular, to a platform having adjustable supports. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a platform having supports that may be adjusted for attachment to fastening elements on a surface that are variably-spaced.
2. Background
Transport aircraft may be used to perform different types of missions. The different types of missions that may be performed by a transport aircraft may include, for example, without limitation, a cargo transport mission, a personnel transport mission, a rescue mission, a supply delivery mission, one or more other types of missions, or some combination thereof. As one illustrative example, a military transport aircraft may be used to transport military troops, military equipment, weapons, medical supplies, food supplies, and/or other types of cargo.
In some cases, the amount of cargo and/or the number of personnel that can be transported by a transport aircraft may be limited by the space inside the transport aircraft, and in particular, the space inside the fuselage of the transport aircraft. More specifically, the amount of cargo and/or the number of personnel that can be transported by a transport aircraft may be limited by the area of the floor inside the fuselage of the aircraft.
The space limitations inside a transport aircraft may increase costs and/or the time needed to perform certain types of missions more than desired. For example, a particular mission may require that a selected amount of cargo be transported from a starting location to an end location using a transport aircraft. However, space limitations inside the transport aircraft may allow only a portion of the selected amount of cargo to be transported during each trip between the starting location and the end location. Consequently, a greater number of trips between these two locations may be needed to complete the mission. These additional trips may increase the cost of the mission and the time needed to complete the mission more than desired.
Additionally, the number of personnel that may be transported in a transport aircraft may depend on the existing floor area inside the fuselage of the transport aircraft available for seating. Some currently available transport aircraft may be unable to accommodate seating for more than a selected number of passengers. Further, some currently available seating solutions for increasing seating may include adding rows of seats that extend down the length of the fuselage or rows of seats that extend across the width of the fuselage.
However, these types of seating configurations may cause overcrowding. Further, these types of seating configurations may not increase the amount of seating available for passengers as much as desired. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.